MUSEUM EXHIBITS

The Minnesota Discovery Center’s Museum Exhibits Showcase Topics Historically Connected To The Iron Range, Including Mining, Early Settlers, Immigration, The Outdoors, And Famous Figures. We Also Display Temporary And Traveling Exhibits.

Permanent Indoor & Outdoor Exhibits

The Minnesota Discovery Center is home to several permanent exhibits, both indoor and outdoor. We specialize in telling unique and compelling stories about the natural and human history of our northern region.

Discover for yourself what Minnesota was like when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, the relationship between the changing seasons and Anishinaabe culture, or follow the long, arduous struggle for the right to unionize in “Blue-Collar Battleground: The Iron Range Labor Story.”

Ride the trolley and be transported back in time to when the Glen Location was in operation, or stroll through our park to learn about the Sami people. There’s much to uncover when you walk through our award-winning exhibit halls!

A display of the history of the Minnesota Iron Range.

BLUE-COLLAR BATTLEGROUND:
THE IRON RANGE LABOR STORY

Unearth over 100 years of labor history on the Iron Range. Watch more on our YouTube

A sign at the entrance of the Minnesota History Center (Civilian Conservation Corps)

CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS HISTORY CENTER (SUMMER-ONLY EXHIBIT)

Learn how the CCC saved Minnesota during The Great Depression.

Immigrants to Minnesota in front of a Tee Pee

IMMIGRANT JOURNEY

Experience life as an early immigrant to Minnesota.

Grab an exhibit passport and find out what life was like for 20th century immigrants to Minnesota. Experience the excitement and hardships that people of all ages faced as they left their homes, sometimes forever, and journeyed to America. Decide what personal objects you would bring to the “Land of Opportunity.”
Watch more on our YouTube

Some of the Iron Range's Natural Resources

HALL OF GEOLOGY

Explore the Iron Range’s diverse natural resources.

Explore the natural history of the Iron Range and learn more about what makes it famous in our Hall Of Geology. The Iron Range is part of the land that first appeared above the prehistoric sea that covered the entire planet over 5 billion years ago. Residents in this region live on top of some of the oldest rocks in the world.

Glenn location showcasing historic buildings

GLEN LOCATION (SUMMER-ONLY EXHIBIT)

View historic buildings and antique mining equipment.

IRON RANGE SCHOOLS

Learn about how early immigrants received an education.

Homestead (Outdoor Exhibit)

Discover the trials and travails of early homesteaders.

The promise of free land and a new life lured many immigrant pioneers to the Northwoods. Faced with extreme elements, disease, and isolation, these homesteaders had no choice but to be self-sufficient. They cut trees to build their homes, cleared land for crops, hunted to survive, handmade any necessities, and gardened for food.

Northwoods Cabin (Outdoor Exhibit)

Encounter a typical home for an early 20th-century pioneer.

Buildings like this one dotted the landscape of northeastern Minnesota from the late 1890s through the 1930s. The inhabitants of these cabins were often bachelors who lived independent and solitary lives. Many worked in the logging camps during the winter months and hired themselves as fishing, hunting, and trapping guides.

SÁMI EXHIBITS (OUTDOOR)

Learn about the history of Nordic and indigenous European cultures and lifeways.

PEERLESS AUTO

Discover one of the first automobile businesses in northern Minnesota.

RUDY PERPICH, GOVERNOR

Find out why Governor Perpich is a pivotal historical figure.

SALOON

Adventure into a world dominated by men at the turn of the 20th Century.

THE FIRST MINNESOTANS

Discover nomadic life on the Iron Range when mammoths roamed this area.

THE FUR TRADE ERA

Partake in a time when fur trading meant everything for survival.

THE OJIBWE SEASONAL CYCLE

Enter a world where the four seasons are experienced through the Ojibwe.

UNDERGROUND MINING

See why extracting minerals from deep underground proved challenging.

Temporary Exhibits

The Minnesota Discovery Center also hosts traveling and in-house temporary exhibits, typically open for two months to a year. Our award-winning exhibit, “Never Dry: The Rise of Prohibition on the Iron Range,” remains on display. Call (218) 254-7959 or email for more information.

Special Pop-Up Exhibits

Call (218) 254-7959 or email for more information.

Arts & Culture Exhibits

The Indigenous Museum Mural was crafted by regional artists Alexis Martinez and Moira Villiard. It is based on the story of the robin that Alexis’ grandfather, Vernon Adams, tells his children and grandchildren. Muralists Alexis and Moira visited her grandfather’s ancestral lands for inspiration, and the visit was filmed as the fourth installment of the docuseries Crafting Legacy.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

Call (218) 254-7959 or email for more information.

Past Exhibits

WE ARE WATER MN

Traveling exhibit from the Minnesota Humanities Center (May 2021 – Jul 2021)

CARNIVAL OF CURIOSITIES

In-house temporary exhibit
(Oct 2019 – Apr 2021)